Cargo ship strikes moored boats after engine fails

A cargo ship drifted into a number of moored vessels after losing power as it was coming alongside in a harbour.

The 75m (246ft) vessel, known as the Shetland Trader, encountered engine trouble while docking at Medina Harbour, Cowes, Isle of Wight on Tuesday evening.

Cowes Harbour Commission said there were no injuries to the Shetland Trader crew, and that it later regained engine power and continued its passage to the commercial wharf.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it was aware of the incident and was making initial enquiries.

According to its schedule, the vessel arrived in Cowes on Tuesday from the Port of Sluiskil in the Netherlands.

Alfie Whelan, 24, a UK Sailing Academy yachtmaster student, who was staying on a boat in the marina, described seeing the cargo vessel on the river: "It started sounding its horn and at that point I believe it scraped along a pontoon and dragged a sailing vessel with it.

"Once I was sure there was no danger and the boat had stopped, I went to have a look and it had indeed dragged a sailing yacht along its bow, deforming its mast in the process."

The Shetland Trader later regained engine power and continued its passage

In a statement Cowes Harbour Commission said: "The Cowes Pilot on board the vessel instigated a well-established emergency procedure, deploying the ship's anchor to slow down and control movement.

"However, movement continued for a short distance before making contact with a moored yacht and motorboat, subsequently coming to a complete stop.

"During the incident, the yacht's moorings were parted, and it became entangled with the cargo vessel's structure."

It added: "With the assistance of local boat owners, the yacht was safely removed from the bow of the vessel and secured alongside a pontoon."

It said harbour staff were "quickly on scene to assist with the safe movement of the yacht and to conduct initial inspections of the affected vessels".

A full investigation is under way.